Raven Facts
The common raven is a large, all-black songbird of the crow family and the heaviest passerine bird, found right across the Northern Hemisphere.
- Class
- Bird
About the raven
No other corvid covers as much ground. Corvus corax ranges across the Northern Hemisphere and has 11 recognized subspecies that look much alike. Adults average about 63 cm (25 inches) long and 1.47 kg (3.2 pounds), and the biggest birds reach 2 kg. Young ravens may roam in flocks, then pair off for life and defend a territory together.
A flexible appetite helps explain their success. Ravens eat carrion, insects, grain, berries, fruit, small animals, birds at the nest and human food waste. Clever problem-solving has convinced researchers that this bird is unusually smart. People have lived alongside it for thousands of years, sometimes treating it as a pest and sometimes as a spirit or god in cultures from Scandinavia and Ireland to Bhutan and Siberia.
Did you know?
- Carl Linnaeus named the common raven Corvus corax in 1758, and the name has never changed.
- Wild common ravens can live past 23 years, though most lives are much shorter.
- The word raven has relatives in other Germanic languages, such as Old Norse hrafn.
Questions about the raven
What do ravens eat?
Almost anything, from carrion, insects and grain to berries, fruit, small animals and food scraps left by people.
Do ravens mate for life?
Yes. After a youthful flock stage, common ravens pair up for life and guard a shared territory.
Sources
- Wikidata Q25357, checked October 8, 2026
- Wikipedia: Common raven, checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.